从富兰克林自传看美国梦Word格式.docx
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从富兰克林自传看美国梦Word格式.docx
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TheAutobiographyofBenjaminFranklinwasprobablythefirstautobiographyinAmericanliterature.Afteritspublication,millionskindsofsimilarworkswereimitateddayandnight.Autobiographygenerallyrecordedamanwhogrewfromanunknownboytoamanofwealthandprosperity.Itwaswrittenintheformofletteranddividedintofourparts,completedatdifferenttimes.Franklinwas65yearsoldwhenhebegantowriteit,buthediedbeforehecouldfinishedthewholebook,whichwasagreatpityforreaderswhowerefascinatedwithhisworks.InAutobiography,Franklinaskedthequestionofhowamanshouldlivehislife,andheofferedthebestanswerhecoulddobyhimself,whichprovidedthemouldofAmericanlifeandinfluencedAmericanspiritinalongperiod.
InAutobiography,themostfamouspartistheThirteenVirtuesofTemperance,Silence,Order,Resolution,Frugality,Industry,Sincerity,Justice,Moderation,Cleanness,Tranquility,Chastity,andHumility.Franklinisnotamanwhogaveupsomethingwhichisdifficulttoachieve.Heisamanwhomadehisdreambecomerealityoncehemadeuphismindtodoit.Forexample,herecordedhowheachievedthethirteenvirtuesstepbystep.
Imadealittlebook,inwhichIallottedapageforeachofthevirtues.Iruledeachpagewithredink,soastohavesevencolumns,oneforeachdayoftheweek,markingthebeginningofeachlinewithaletterfortheday.Icrossedthesecolumnswith13redlines,markingthebeginningofeachlinewiththefirstletterofoneofthevirtues,onwhichline,andinitspropercolumnImightmark,byalittleblackspot,everyfaultIfounduponexaminationtohavecommittedrespectingthatvirtueuponthatday.(常耀信,1996:
126)
AlltheseillustratedhowFranklintriestorestrainhimselfandrealizehisdreaminhistime.HowhebecomesagreatmaninAmericanhistoryandhowheinfluencestheformingofAmericanDreaminthefollowingtime.
ChapterOneFranklinandthe“ThirteenVirtues”inHisAutobiography
BenjaminFranklin’sAutobiographyandthe“ThirteenVirtues”inIt
Inadayandagewhenfewmenarethinkingabouttheirownoranyoneelse’scharacterdevelopment,thoughtfulmenmustlooktothepasttogaininspiration.
BenjaminFranklin,oneoftheAmericanRevolution’smostnotablefiguresissuchaninspiration.
HewasaFoundingFatheroftheUnitedStates,apolymath,author,printer,inventor,postmaster,RosicrucianandFreemason.Heinventedthelighteningrod,bifocallenses,theFranklinstove,thecarriageodometer,theglassharmonica.HefoundedthefirstlendinglibraryandthefirstFireDepartmentinPennsylvania.
TheAutobiographyofBenjaminFranklinisarecordofself-examinationandself-improvement.WhenwereadtheAutobiography,wecanseeanoldmanwhowassittingthereandtoldusanoldstoryabouthisownlifeandhisexperienceofhispastlife.Hetoldushowtoperfectourselvesbyreading,workingandlearning.Hetaughtuswithpeninhand,drawingouttheformofhowhecombatedwithhisevilshortcomingsstepbystep,daybyday,howhesucceedatlast.Accordingtohisownstory,heseemedtotellusthatnothingisimpossible;
wecanbecomesomebodysoonerorlateroncewedoit.Franklinbelievedthateveryonecouldcommunicatewithgod,whichisalsopartofhisreligiousbelief.TheAutobiographywasFranklin’slifelongworkthathededicatedtoexpressinghiseverythoughtandbelief.ArrivinginNewEnglandatabout1682,BenjaminFranklin’sfather,Josiah,foundthatEnglishConventiclerwereoftendisturbedbyEnglishlawsandthatthey“inducedsomeconsiderableMenofhisAcquaintancetoremovetothatCountry,andhewasprevailedwithtoaccompanythemthither,wheretheyexpectedtoenjoytheirModeofReligionwithFreedom”(Bastain,Peter,2005:
83).TheAutobiographyisthereforeFranklin’sembodimentofexpressionthathadhisfamilyremainedinEnglandwouldhavebeenimpossibletoachieve.WhatmakesFranklin’smodeofexpressionuniqueisthatitdrawsexclusivelyontheselfandallowstheselftodevelopintoacohesivewholewithoutthegovernmentimposingonit.LivinginalandlikeAmericawhereitscitizenscouldexpressthemselvesfreely,writerslikeFranklinwereabletoestablishamodeofexpressionthateveryonecouldaccuratelyrepresentthemselvesfreely.ItcouldthenbearguedthatthefirststepinattainingtheAmericandreamwastorejectOldWorldValuesandadoptNewWorldonesinplace.
Franklinsoughttocultivatehischaracterbyaplanofthirteenvirtues,whichhedevelopedatage20(in1726)andcontinuedtopracticeinsomeformfortherestofhislife.Hisautobiographylistshisthirteenvirtuesas:
Temperance:
“Eatnottodullness;
drinknottoelevation”;
Silence:
“Speaknotbutwhatmaybenefitothersoryourself;
avoidtriflingconversation”;
Order:
“Letallyourthingshavetheirplaces;
leteachpartofyourbusinesshaveitstime”;
Resolution:
“Resolvetoperformwhatyouought;
performwithoutfailwhatyouresolve”;
Frugality:
“Makenoexpensebuttodogoodtoothersoryourself;
.,wastenothing”;
Industry:
“Losenotime;
bealwaysemploy’dinsomethinguseful;
cutoffallunnecessaryactions”;
Sincerity:
“Usenohurtfuldeceit;
thinkinnocentlyandjustly,and,ifyouspeak,speakaccordingly”;
Justice:
“Wrongnonebydoinginjuries,oromittingthebenefitsthatareyourduty”;
Moderation:
“Avoidextremes;
forbearresentinginjuriessomuchasyouthinktheydeserve”;
Cleanliness:
“Toleratenouncleanlinessinbody,cloaths,orhabitation”;
Tranquility:
“Benotdisturbedattrifles,orataccidentscommonorunavoidable”;
Chastity:
“Rarelyusevenerybutforhealthoroffspring,nevertodullness,weakness,ortheinjuryofyourownoranother’speaceorreputation”;
Humility:
“ImitateJesusandSocrates.”(常耀信,1991:
124)
Franklindidnottrytoworkonthemallatonce.
Instead,hewouldworkononeandonlyoneeachweek“leavingallotherstotheirordinarychance”.
WhileFranklindidnotlivecompletelybyhisvirtuesandbyhisownadmission,hefellshortofthemmanytimes,hebelievedtheattemptmadehimabettermancontributinggreatlytohissuccessandhappiness,whichiswhyinhisautobiography,hedevotedmorepagestothisplanthantoanyothersinglepoint;
inhisautobiographyFranklinwrote,“Ihope,therefore,thatsomeofmydescendantsmayfollowtheexampleandreapthebenefit.”(常耀信,1991:
123-127)
TheDeepMeaningofthe“ThirteenVirtues”
Benbelievedthatmanisbasicallygoodandfreebynature;
everyoneownsunalienablerighttopursuehappinessandliberty.Oneofthe13virtueshelistedforhimselfis“order”,whichisalsooneoftheprincipleoftheAgeofReasonandthesloganof18thcentury,justasAlexanderPopeadvocatedinhiscontemporarythatheroiccoupletistherigidformofhisschool.Thentherecomes“moderation”:
“avoidextremes,”Franklintoldhimselfandhisfellowmen.Asisknownall,moderationandtemperancewereamongthebestvirtuesofmeninthattime.Allofthe13virtuesareanimpressiverecordofamantryingtobevaluetomankind:
Franklinspenthiswholelifedoingallkindsofthingsforthewelfareoftheworld,asindeedwementionedalittleearlier.Creatingasitdoestheimageofaboy’srisefromragstoriches,thebookdemonstratesFranklin’sconfidentbeliefthatthenewworldofAmericaisalandofopportunitieswhichmightbemetthroughhardworkandwithmanagement,thustellingastoryofself-reliance.“Industry”referredinthe13virtuesbestillustrateditindetail.Franklinwassupremelyhuman.Heknewhumanity’sfoiblesanddeficiencies,buthewasconvincedthatmanisgoodandcapableofbecomingbetter,andthat,althoughmanandinstitutionsareoftencorrupt,theymightbeimproved.HadthisbelieffailedtotriumphoverthedoctrineofpeoplelikeJonathanEdwards,theAmericanRevolutionwouldbeimpossible.
BenjaminFranklin’sAutobiographyisastrictstanceagainstoldworldvalues.Themainoldviewvaluestatedthat“theChristianChurchmustdeliverthelawswhichshehathreceivedfromherKing,notdaremakelaws”(Abbott,H.Porter,2002:
45).AkeyeighteenthcenturyfigurelikeBenjaminFranklinvaluedhigherlawvaluesbecauseallowingthegovernmenttointerpretbiblicalpassagestheKingcouldalwaysplacehisownslanttomakeitseemthatGodordainedhisleadership.HigherlawpracticesinsteadadvancedthatGod’s
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